Camino Norte, day 20 and 21, in Santiago and Finisterre

We gave it another try to get Laura’s compostella. We went to the Pilgrim Office early, and got her number, which was about 400. When you check in at the Pilgrim Office, you learn that you can get an app that tells you on your phone what number is being processed at the office. As we walked around town, we kept an eye on the number, and we came back when her number approached, running the last few blocks so as not to miss her number. They asked her a few questions, and gave her a Compostella.

Laura suggested that we take a tour bus out to Finistere, and that worked out well. I was planning to walk out there after Laura had left for home, but I looked forward to a bus tour in order the scout the route. Laura paid for our ticket online, and we showed a phone receipt in order to board the bus.

Our first stop was at Ponte Maceira, about 10 km from Santiago. It was raining during the drive, and I was thinking that I was glad to not be walking. But when we got to Ponte Maceira, the clouds cleared. There is a restored Roman era bridge here, likely rebuilt several times. There is dam here which routed water into a mill house, where stone grinding wheels were powered by the water.

We had one more stop before we reached Finisterre, and that was at the only river in Europe that enters the sea by a waterfall. That was the Tambre River (the same river that goes under the Ponte de Maceira) and there was a park there and a museum of electrical power.

There is a marina nearby with boats that enter the ocean from the mouth of the river. From here were went to Finisterre. Finisterre is on a ridge high above the sea, and has a cafe and a lighthouse. There is also a Galician Camino mile marker “0” here.

From the lighthouse and mile marker, we went to the nearby town of Finisterre, and had lunch. The seafood paella was great, but a little too fishy for Laura. I wish someone would tell me how to eat those giant shrimp in a non messy way, and what parts you can eat anyway. The town of Finisterre has many places to eat, tourist shops, and a marina.

From Finisterre there is one more stop, at Muxia, which is about 30 km away. There is another Galician Camino mile marker there showing “0” km. At Muxia there is an old church, a park, and one can get as close to the water as you want.